April

1

Auckland, brunching and dining with Kiwis met elsewhere in NZ

2

Fly from Auckland to Melbourne, Australia -- really, I'm leaving NZ

Evening wandering in Melbourne, enjoy stumbling upon beautifully lit buildings and Chinatown

3

Melbourne, getting oriented to Australia

Victorian Arts Centre, St. Kilda

4

Great Ocean Road, Bells Beach, Lorne

5

Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay, 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge

6

Melbourne

Queen Victoria Market, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Parliament, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Museum

7

Fly to Sydney, enjoy staying in a real home with Jenny's friends, the Maruccis

8

Sydney

The Rocks, Opera House, where a dance competition is going on outside

9

Sydney

Harbour ferry to Manly Beach, ferry to Darling Harbour, Chinese Garden

10

Wandering around Sydney (to the degree that a broken toe allows!), Customs House, Museum of Contemporary Art, Martin Place, Chinatown

11

Coogee Beach, fly to Brisbane, bus to Byron Bay, where amazingly I have found reasonably-priced lodging (Easter weekend and bluesfest means 80,000 extra people in town!)

12

Byron Bay, due to this being a surfer/hippy long-haired haven, falling "in love" right and left

Happy 21st Anniversary, Judy and Al

13

14

Blues festival continues. Highlights this day: Little Feat, Marva Wright and the BMWs, Midnight Oil, The Waifs, and being befriended by a dozen Aussie guys (I had the leopard capri pants on -- think there's any connection?!)

15

Blues festival continues. Highlights: Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings, Marva Wright and the BMWs, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals

16

Blues festival continues. Highlights: Dom Turner & Supro, Janis Ian, Little Milton, Marva Wright and the BMWs (Yeah, that's 3 days in a row -- I like her!)

17

Byron Bay, go out to hear music again HatFitz (a local band -- very good) and accidentally wander into a performance by Marva Wright and the BMWs!

18

on the beach at Byron Bay

19

Byron Bay Lighthouse, the most easterly point in Australia, and once again on the beach at Byron Bay

With a group of 20-somethings, actually go dancing on the healing toe (mostly done by standing in place and shaking my groove thang)

20

Byron Bay

Realized that I slept in the same bed for 9 nights -- a first on this trip!!

bus to Nimbin, hippy capital of Australia

21

Nimbin is making me crazy -- plan my early escape

22

Blessedly get a ride out of Nimbin and go to Brisbane early

23

Brisbane: general wandering; City Hall, including clock tower; ferry rides up and down the river; Queen St. Mall; Treasury Building (which ironically now houses a private casino -- motto: We'll Get your Money One Way or Another) Queensland Museum of Art

24

Brisbane: Parliament, Botantic Gardens, swimming in University pool

25

Caloundra and Mooloolaba, Hang out with new friends Jack & Jan Bentley

26

Caloundra; Noosa, on the beach

27

Noosa National Park, Hervey Bay

28

bike riding in Hervey Bay

29

Frasier Island, largest sand island in the world! Central Station, walk through Pile Valley along Wanggoolba Creek, 75 Mile Beach, Cathedrals (colored sand), Maheno shipwreck, float down Eli Creek, see first dingo

30

Fraser Island: Indian Head, Champagne Pools, Middle Rock, Rainbow Gorge, heard snake in bush (seen by others) -- aaaaahhhh!

Perform "Love Shack" at Kareoke night (sadly without leopard capri pants)

1

Fraser Island: swim in Lake Wabby and in Lake Mckenzie; return to Hervey Bay

2

bus to Rockhampton where I cross the Tropic of Capricorn; spend night in Yeppoon, get to hold new baby to make up for missing the April births of Marguerite and Tom's and Meredith and Mike's babies

3

Great Keppel Island: sea-kayaking, saw great sunset

Ailment of the Week Double Header: Rotator Cuff injury returns (duh, think there's any relationship to that and the kayaking?) and mystery cough develops

4

Great Keppel Island: Long Beach, saw snake -- aaaahhhh!!

Still coughing and annoying others, no doubt

5

Great Keppel Island: Monkey Beach (hike there reaffirms limits of the toe)

Supposed to go to Mackay, ditch plans, change all reservations for a day, and stay in Rockhampton due to cute man on ferry

Leopard capri pants go on dinner date